Malaysia is preparing to follow Australia's lead by banning social media access for users under 16, with the country's communications minister signaling the restrictions could take effect next year. The move would put Meta, X, and other platforms on notice as Southeast Asia's regulatory landscape shifts dramatically toward child protection measures.
Malaysia just became the latest country to take aim at social media's youngest users. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced the government is actively developing systems to block users under 16 from major platforms, putting the country on track to implement restrictions by next year.
"We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government's decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts," Fadzil told Reuters, signaling that negotiations with tech companies are already underway.
The timing isn't coincidental. Australia's sweeping social media ban for under-16s goes into effect December 10, creating the world's first comprehensive age restriction system. Now Malaysia appears ready to follow suit, potentially creating a Southeast Asian regulatory bloc that could reshape how platforms like Meta's Facebook and Instagram, X, and TikTok operate in the region.
For tech companies, this represents a significant escalation. While Australia's law primarily targets the platforms themselves with hefty fines for non-compliance, Malaysia's approach suggests a coordinated regional strategy that could force companies to implement age verification systems across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
The regulatory momentum has been building for months. France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway are all working on similar measures, while the U.S. has seen 24 states enact age verification laws. Utah became the first state to require app stores themselves to verify ages and obtain parental consent for minors.
